A series of pavilions and footbridges planned for the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province, China, are designed to make visitors feel as if they are walking on air and floating above the stunning landscape.
The bridges come courtesy of Martin Duplantier Architectes, which won first place in a design competition for a new route on the western part of Zhiangjiajie. To achieve the optical illusion of making tourists feel as if they are floating, the bridges and pavilions will be built using reflective stainless steel for structure and black stone flooring. The footbridges will contrast with the natural landscape in that they will be of pure geometric shapes.
The pavilions will be made of the same materials and develop on three separate levels. The top level will be a terrace-panorama directly accessible from the path, the middle floor will be a café, and the bottom floor will be a “royal guesthouse.” The guesthouse allows people to spend the night and experience the park after the crowds have left.
One of the bridges will be an elliptical disk with an off-centered hole providing views into the gap between the two rock faces. The hole will be filled with a “strong net” that will allow guests to lie down in the void.
A second bridge will have two levels. The top level connects the two sides of the rock face while the lower level will be similar to the hole in the first bridge but on a larger scale.
A third bridge will create a “water mirror.” Two centimeters of water will lie on top of the black stone path and will continuously drain and reappear via spray nozzles. Every seven minutes, the spray nozzles create a cloud of mist of the bridge. The mist will land on the stones and transform the surface into a still, reflective veneer.
The project does not currently have a timeline for completion.
Rendering courtesy of Martin Duplantier Architectes
Rendering courtesy of Martin Duplantier Architectes
Related Stories
75 Top Building Products | Dec 3, 2020
Top Structural Products for 2020
Viewrail's Terrace floating stair system and USG's EcoSmart Panels are among the 10 new structural products to make Building Design + Construction's 2020 75 Top Products report.
AEC Tech | Oct 28, 2020
Meet Jaibot, Hilti's new construction robot
The semi-autonomous robot is designed to assist MEP contractors with ceiling-drilling applications.
Coronavirus | Apr 5, 2020
COVID-19: Most multifamily contractors experiencing delays in projects due to coronavirus pandemic
The NMHC Construction Survey is intended to gauge the magnitude of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on multifamily construction.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 16, 2019
Top Structural Products for 2019
Inpro’s Fireline 140 fire barrier and Owens Corning’s Foamglas cellular glass insulation are among the 10 structural products to make Building Design+Construction's 2019 101 Top Products report.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 16, 2019
101 Top Products for 2019
Building Design+Construction readers and editors select their top building products for the past 12 months in the fourth-annual 101 Top Products report.
Architects | Dec 10, 2019
Calling all emerging architects: Enter to win the $20,000 Forge Prize
This annual steel design competition will recognize three Finalists ($10,000 each) and one Grand Prize Winner ($20,000 total) for their novel concepts in steel-based structures. Entries are due Jan. 15, 2020.
Wood | Oct 24, 2019
Could mass timber be a game changer for stadium design?
Projects throughout the U.S. and Canada showcase the design and environmental traits of large-scale wood sports facilities.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 12, 2019
Meet the masters of offsite construction
Prescient combines 5D software, clever engineering, and advanced robotics to create prefabricated assemblies for apartment buildings and student housing.